2007年VOA标准英语-Burkina Faso Launches Mediation Attempt for Ivo

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
05 February 2007

High-level rebel and presidential delegations² from divided Ivory Coast have started meetings in Burkina Faso in a renewed attempt to end more than four years of stalled negotiations³. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Dakar.

Ivorian presidential advisor⁴ Desire Tagro said Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore was in an ideal position to mediate⁵ the conflict. He says he knows the players well, and has proven his mediation⁶ skills recently in Togo.

Tagro was part of a presidential delegation¹ in Ouagadougou meeting with Mr. Compaore, along with high-ranking rebels.

 
Laurent Gbagbo 
This is part of an initiative launched by Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, seeking what he called direct dialogue with the rebels, who hold more than half of Ivory Coast.

Mr. Gbagbo has previously⁷ accused Mr. Compaore of being behind the rebellion. Many of the rebel leaders have homes in Ouagadougou.

Mr. Gbagbo has also said international mediation efforts have failed to reunite Ivory Coast.

 
Rebels say they will trade guns for papers 
Rebels say they will not disarm⁸, until many northerners who say they are considered second-class citizens in the world's leading cocoa producer are given nationality papers and voting cards.

Elections have already been delayed twice, while thousands of U.N. peacekeepers and a French rapid reaction force have manned a buffer⁹ zone separating the north from south.

The latest U.N. Security resolution for Ivory Coast, 1721, has been largely ignored.

A national unity¹⁰ prime minister, Charles Konan Banny, was given expanded powers to organize national identification and disarmament schemes before scheduled October elections, but little progress has been made.

An opposition¹¹ leader Kandia Camara tells VOA time keeps on passing without progress, while Ivorians suffer.

 
Kandia Camara 
"Our hope is that this dialogue starts and ends at the end of February," she said.

She says she also hopes the talks will be in line with international efforts.

"There is a resolution, 1721, and in that resolution, there are some steps which have to be done," she said. "The main aim is the election at the end of this year. So we have to do our best to give the papers to all the Ivorians who can vote. And we have to make our best so that the warriors¹², if I can call them like that, put down the guns and we go to elections so that all the Ivorians will choose the person they want to be the president of Ivory Coast, so that peace can come again."

Rebel leader Guillaume Soro says he wants to make sure renewed dialogue is transparent¹³ and in line with the U.N. resolution.

Rebels accuse Mr. Gbagbo of blocking reforms, saying he is afraid he would lose a free and fair election. The two main opposition leaders in Ivory Coast were barred from the vote Mr. Gbagbo won, in conditions he himself called "chaotic¹⁴", against a military ruler in 2000.

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

6 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

9 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

13 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

14 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。